Olive’s mouth fell open as she heard those words from him. He had looked and sounded serious. He even promised!
“Alpha, you do realize this is your first promise to me. Don’t you?” she asked. She honestly wanted him to take back his words. A promise was not easily broken by their kind, and she didn’t want him to be burdened by it. The fight against The Vrek Cult and everyone who hurt her was her battle alone. She didn’t want anyone to be involved blindly.
“I know. And it’s a promise I intend to keep,” Wayne replied firmly. She opened her mouth to say something again, but his face was too firm. She couldn’t say anything more.
“They ruined your childhood. I won’t let them go free,” he spat.
“But why? This isn’t your fight. It’s mine. I’m the one seeking revenge against them. Why did you have to promise?” Olive asked desperately.
Wayne smirked sarcastically and it faded few seconds later.
“Because I hate it when people toy with what’s mine. Let alone ruin it completely. You’re mine. My mate. How can I turn a blind eye to that?”
Olive was supposed to feel emotional and happy now that he had actually claimed she was his. He was showing some possessiveness over her. But no… She felt disgusted. He was talking about her like she was an object–a priceless jewel. Something he wanted to selfishly possess alone and would destroy anyone who tried to steal it. She didn’t want to be seen as a liability. She wanted him, needed him to cherish her as a human. Not necessarily because of the title ‘mate’. And what he had said reminded her of what she was to The Vrek Cult too. She was always just a possession. Always just a thing.
“Thank you. But please take back your words. I’m perfectly fine without it. I can take care of myself,” she said and began to slowly walk away from. Wayne’s eyebrows furrowed. He stood there as he watched her walk ahead without following her. Soon, she stopped and looked back at him.
“Angry?” he asked while tilting his head to the side and looking at her. The wind had stopped, the temperature was heating up again. Olive took in her lips into her mouth and chewed on them. He thought that was cute.
“Come here,” he ordered. But it was a calm, soothing sort of order. His eyes were boring into her and she felt like she would melt. She took gentle steps towards him and when she reached him, he held her face in his palms.
“Listen, mate. You’re now my responsibility. Don’t you dare think that I wouldn’t care about your matters. I would. I would care about them from today until I draw my last breath. I would kill anyone who wants to hurt you, or who hurt you in the past. I want to protect you. Very badly,” he pronounced slowly.
Each word sunk into Olive’s skull and she got the shivers. She felt her feet weakening and she grabbed his jacket for support. His eyes were watching her, like he didn’t want to miss a single detail of her face. His thumb began to make small movements around her cheeks as he stared at her. She looked down as she felt that inner heat. He slowly placed one of his hands under her chin and held her face up.
“You look beautiful. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen thousands of women.”
Olive’s mouth parted in surprise. Did Wayne Knight just tell her that? She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen? She was stupefied as she held unto his jacket tighter so she wouldn’t fall. She didn’t know what to do regarding what he said. Should she say thank you?
Slowly, she felt her arms moving around his torso and wrapping them. She lowered her head unto his chest and hugged him like that. His hands fell to his sides as they stood in that position. He didn’t hug her back, but the hug was the best she could do in that position.
A minute later, she gently released him with a smile on her face.
“Should we keep going?” she asked as she looked ahead into the trees. Wayne looked at the direction of her eyes.
“There’s something I want to show you,” he said and put his hand before her. She gently placed her hand in, and he enclosed it firmly. He led her deeper into the woods and often helped her climb obstacles like fallen logs or made her dogde branches on the ground. It was already twilight and they were still walking.
“Alpha, what is it that you wanted to show me? We haven’t reached it?”
“In a minute, we would,” came his reply. Olive nodded and continued with him. Few steps later and she began to hear the sound of moving water. The vegetation became more dense and green. Wayne pushed aside all the thick green branches and they paved through. Olive sqeaked in delight at the beautiful flowing river they had just arrived. It was sparkling white and it kept bubbling in rough waves at different places where there were rocks. It was a wide river and birds were flying in and washing.
“Gosh!” she squealed and ran ahead. Wayne chuckled softly and slowly continued to walk. He had no idea why he brought her to this very river. This river where he-
“Alpha!” Olive’s call broke through his thoughts. He looked at her crouched down in front of the bubbling water.
“It’s so cold!” she squealed as her hands danced around the waves.
“You called me because it was so cold?” he asked in an amused expression as he reached her.
“Do you know what kind of cold I’m talking about? This is ice cold! Winter cold!” she replied and chuckled. He began to unbutton his jacket as she had her back to him. He was removing it totally when she turned to him and froze.
“What are you doing?” she asked with large eyes.
“A swim,” he answered and began to unbuckle his belt. Olive’s eyes even widened more. She jumped up and turned around so as not to see him. He cracked a laugh and removed his trousers. He removed his boots and socks too and walked past her. She turned her head away as he walked into the cold water and dived in.
She breathed in and looked at the water but surprisingly, it was still, with no sign of Alpha Knight. Her eyes narrowed at the direction she had heard him dive in, but the water was just flowing calmly with no ripples at all. He must have gone underwater but why did the water calm so quickly?
Olive crossed her arms and waited patiently for over five minutes, but then her heart began to beat faster. Alpha Knight was not yet out.
“Alpha?” she called out and began to walk closer to the water.
“Alpha Knight!” she yelled. If anything should happen to him, she might be blamed for it since she once tried to assassinate him anyway. But she knew he had too much enemies who would use any means to get him. Could it be that they had put something in the water to make him lose consciousness and drown? What if there were water spirits that had caged him?
“Oh no!” she cried at that thought. And without thinking, Olive unbuckled the only button that held her jacket together and tossed it off her body. She removed her shoes and was about to pull off the socks and dive in to save him when she heard movements in the water.
She froze in that crouching position with her hands still on her half pulled socks and stared at the river. Slowly and gently, ripples formed. She gasped as a godlike figure slowly emerged with water falling fast from his head and body. The way the water moved in lines, he looked deliciously alluring. His broad chest reminded Olive of Aquaman. He stood firmly in the water, with his torso and upper body exposed only. His chest was moving up and down in slow, calm heaves. Olive almost fell down and worshipped Alpha Knight. He looked that celestial.
“Were you going to rescue me?” he asked in an amused, deep baritone voice that reverberated across the waters. His hair was hugging him tightly and he gently moved them from his eyes with his index finger. His eyelashes were wet and sticking to each other. His lips too were wet and glistening. God! Olive was getting burned by this hot man. The sun was already setting beyond the horizon, sending orange rays of light on Wayne’s magnificent body. Making the water on his body sparkle.
All these was too much for her to take in. She therefore took a very deep breath and straightened up.
“I thought you drowned,” she said and unknowingly licked her lips while staring at his broad chest. Her fingers were dying to trace the outlines of his abs. Alpha Wayne did not miss her needy expression even though she didn’t know it was that obvious.
This surely wasn’t the first time a woman was reacting that way to just his body. But this was indeed the first time he wanted that woman to fulfill her desires.
“I see you already was about to jump in. So come on, I’m waiting for you,” he said and crossed his arms making muscles ripple underneath his skin. Olive gulped and looked at his face.
“What?”
“Undress and come to me.”
Her breath hitched in her throat. He pulled back all his wet hair and crossed his arms again.
“Mate… come on… come to daddy,” he said in the sexiest voice Olive had ever heard.